British students have been portrayed in the same stereotypical way in every fly-on-the-wall documentary or dramatic representation for years. Characters such as "the lad", "the slut", "the introvert", and "the geek" are all overrepresented in shows such as ITV2’s Freshers, Skins, Fresh Meat and Channel 4’s documentary The Secret Life of Students. These shows depict students as being drunk, rowdy, and irresponsible in their sex lives, but this is rarely the case.
The Secret Life of Students is a documentary that claims to shine a light on the mysterious lives of students at the University of Leicester. It records every text message, tweet, and internet search of a group of first-year students dealing with homesickness, newfound freedom, and trying to fit in. However, it also creates an exaggerated reality of a stereotypical collection of freshers, including the guy who thinks it’s "banter" to catch an STI, the girl who sleeps around to fit in, and the introvert who is seen as clingy and a loser for experiencing loneliness. This show leaves many fellow students feeling unrepresented, annoyed, and tired of the same old clichés.
Students today are much more than what is portrayed in the media. They are young leaders, charity workers, volunteers, carers, and entrepreneurs. They provide community outreach programs, societies, volunteering opportunities, and student jobs. For example, through student unions, one can volunteer overseas, get help starting a business, and play nearly every kind of sport.
According to the Student Volunteering Landscape, a report conducted by the National Union of Students, 31% of university students give a significant amount of their time to volunteering. Over 700,000 students volunteer for an average of 44 hours per year, and student volunteering as a whole contributes the equivalent of £175 million to the UK economy.
There are many great examples of student contributions to society, such as the incredible story of 21-year-old student Jo Armstead, who made a breakthrough in Cystic Fibrosis research while on work experience. Unfortunately, articles about constructive student action are rarely given the same coverage as negative ones.
Students continually prove that they are capable of making a difference in society, just like the charity Making Memories, which was set up by a group of students at Lancaster University to support terminally ill parents with young children. Through volunteering, students can transform someone’s life and feel a sense of pride at the end of each day, like what Mathew Gillings, one of the founders of Making Memories, experiences.
It’s time for the media to focus on the positives of our collective and shine a light on the hidden lives that are not portrayed, such as charity workers or young leaders. Hopefully, the next documentary on the secret lives of students will be a true representation of student life.
